Batten cleat protector



May 27, 1.952

H. J. MooRs A BATTEN CLEAT PROTECTOR Filed July 20, 1951 A V/ /J l Attornfw Patented May 27, 1952 2,597,945 BATTEN CLEAT PROTECTOR Harry J. Moors, Galveston, Tex.

Application July 20, 1951, Serial No. 237,726

Claims.

This invention relates to a novel form of protector for cleats used to support cargo or sweat battons of ships and has for its primary object to provide a protector of extremely simple construction Which may be readily secured to the batten to shield the upper end of a batten cleat to prevent the cleat from hooking into and puncturing cargo being loaded into the hull of a ship and which causes an untold amount of cargo damage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleat protector which will prevent solid pieces of cargo from hooking onto and being suspended from batten cleats and from breaking olf the cleats, as frequently occurs.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cleat protector of extremely simple construction which may be very economically manufactured and quickly and easily anchored to a batten to cover the exposed upper end of a batten supporting cleat to positively' prevent the cleat from damaging cargo or prevent cargo from hanging on or breaking ol the cleat.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating one presently preferred ernbodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, partly in top plan illustrating the invention in an applied position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view looking from left to right of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3 3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 2`.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, for the purpose of illustrating a preferred application of the batten cleat protector, designated genorally 5 and comprising the invention, a portion of a side of a ships hull is indicated at 6 having a rib 1 secured to the inner side thereof and which forms a part of a frame of the ship. The rib or frame part 'I may be formed of any suitable material and may be provided at its inner exposed edge with a protective strip 8 of a hard metal. A plurality of batten cleats or clips 9 are secured in vertically spaced relationship to the inner exposed edge of each rib 1, 8, only one of said cleats 9 being illustrated. The cleat 9 is formed of metal and is shown as being secured as by welding, as seen at I0, to a portion of the strip 8, said cleat having an upstanding portion II which is spaced outwardly from the strip 8 by a bottom portion I2 thereof which is disposed at a right angle to the portion I I and perpendicular to the plane of the strip 8 and a free end of which portion l2 is secured by the weld I 0 to said strip 8. The upper, free end of the upstanding clip portion II isv usually bevelled on its inner side as seen at I3 to guide a bottom edge of a cargo or sweat batten I4 into a position between the reinforcing rib strip 8 and the cleat portion II. The sweat or cargobatten I4 is usually of a width greater than the length of the cleat portion II so that the upper edge of the batten I4 is disposed a substantial distance above the upper end I3 of the cleat 9. The parts 6 to I4, inclusive, are all conventional and have merely been illustrated and briey described to afford a better understanding of the protector 5. Furthermore, it will be understood that each rib 'I and its attached strip 8 along the length of a side 6 of a ship is provided with a corresponding number of vertically spaced cleats 9 and that the cleats 9 are disposed so that complementary cleats 9 of the different ribs are in horizontal alignment since a plurality of cleats 9 disposed at the same level and attached to different ribs cooperate for supporting each batten I4.

The protector 5 is preferably formed of metal and is preferably provided with a substantially nat inner surface I5 which is provided with a recess I6 which extends longitudinally thereof and which opens outwardly of the lower edge I1 of the protector 5. The outer side I8 of the protector 5 is rounded transversely from end-to-end thereof, as best illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, and is likewise convexly arced longitudinally thereof so that the intermediate portion of said outer surface I8 is spaced a greater distance from the batten I4 than the end portions thereof. Likewise, the protector 5 is substantially thicker intermediate of its ends than adjacent its upper or lower end and the upper end of said protector 5 is provided withy a relatively thin inturned extension I9r which extends inwardly from its inner surface I 5 and which terminates in a downwardly curved free edge which is notched to form teeth 20.

A protector 5 is applied to the portion II of each cleat 9 by positioning the inner surface I5 of the protector against the exposed side of the batten I4 above and on opposite sides of the upper portion of the cleat 9 and so that the upper part of the cleat portion II including its bevelled upper end I3 will be disposed in the recess I6 of the protector 5. The protector 5 is thus disposed against the hatten I4 and over the upper portion of the cleat 9 and with its inturned upper end portion I9 overlying the upper edge of the hatten i4. The portion I 9 may then be struck with a hammer or similar impact tool, not shown, for driving the teeth 20 downwardly into the upper edge of the batteri Hi to thereby effectively anchor the protector to the batteri and so that the upper end of the batteri supporting cleat will be enclosed by the protector 5, Within its recess I6.

Assuming that a protector 5 is thus applied over each hatten cleat 9, it will be readily apparent that in loading cargo, not shown, into the hold of a ship thus equipped that the boxes or cartons containing the cargo cannot engage the bevelled upper ends i3 of the cleats and be torn or otherwise damaged thereby and solid items of cargo such as bales of cotton may not become hooked upon the cleat portions I3 as they are lowered into the hull so as. to be suspended therefrom or so as to break ori the cleats. On the contrary, it will he readily apparent that the. individual items, of cargo as they are lowered into the huil of the ship will instead strike the rounded outer surfaces or the protectors 5 and will be cammed or deflected thereby away from the battens I4 and cleats 9 to thereby avoid any damage to the cargo or to the hatten cleats to thus greatly facilitate the operation of loading a ships hull.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

i. A hatten cleat protector comprising an elongated body. portion having a substantially fiat inner side adapted to be disposed against a batten, said body portion being provided with a recess opening outwardly of its inner side and of a lower end thereof adapted to accommodate and enclose the upper end of a batten cleat, and means for detachably anchoring the cleat protector to the batteri.

2. A batteri cleat protector as in claim 1, said means comprising an extension of the upper portion of said protector body, said extension extending inwardly from the. inner surface of the body portion and being adapted to overlie the upper edge of the batteri and having a downturned toothed free edge portion adapted to be driven into the upper edge oi the batteri for anchoring the protector thereto.

3. A hatten cleat protector as in claim 1, said means comprising an integral hook portion projecting from the upper end oi' said body portion inwardly with respect to the inner surface thereof, said hook portion being adapted to overlie the upper edge of the batten and having a downturned bill portion adapted to be driven into the upper edge of the hatten for anchoring the protector thereto.

4. A hatten cleat protector as inY claim 1, said body portion having a rounded outer surface convexly arced longitudinally thereof from its upper end to its lower end, said outer surface being convexly arced transversely from one side edge to the opposite side edge thereo throughout its length.

5. A hatten cleat protector as in claim 1, said body portion having a convexly rounded outer surface and being thicker intermediate of its ends and intermediate of its side edges than adjacent its ends and adjacent its side edges.

HARRY J. MOORS.

No references cited. 

